Gene Poore correctly stated in his Dec. 8, 2013, letter headlined, “Meaning of Christmas found in today’s decor,” that “paganism is the root of our Christmas symbols.”

Man’s first savior was the sun. Christianity is sun worship renamed and Jesus is a sun god, literally the light of the world. Biblical references to light and darkness now make sense. “Walking on water,” for example, symbolizes sun light reflecting off the surface of water.

The story of Jesus is the story of the sun’s travels across the sky and through the Zodiac. The twelve disciples represent the 12 signs of the zodiac, or 12 months of the year.

“Jesus” comes from the Greek name “Iesous/IHSOUS” and Latin “Iesus.” “Lesous” is adapted from the name of the Greek goddess of healing, Iesos/Iaso, the daughter of Apollo, the Sun-deity.

Sunday was set aside in the Mithra (Roman) cult as its official day to worship its Sun-deity. Roman Emperor Constantine legislated Sun-day as a day of rest dedicated to the Greek and Roman Sun-god, Helios. Constantine worshipped “Christos Helios,” which means “Christ-The-True-Sun.” The Roman Catholic Church chose Sun-day as its sabbath and Protestantism adopted it.

Obelisks, spires, steeples and church towers all come from the pagan worship practices of Babylon and Egypt called sun-pillars. An obelisk or sun-pillar still stands at the entrance of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome.

The winter solstice is the reason for the season. The solstice is a metaphor for the sun’s birth, death and resurrection. The sun appears to die as it reaches its lowest point in the winter sky, remaining motionless for three days. The sun is then resurrected, or born again, as it begins to slowly rise.

Many religions had a triune god. Solar triune gods represented the three stages of the life of the Sun and lunar triune goddesses represented the three phases or life of the moon.

The Christian trinity is a solar triune: one, the young son at sunrise (God the son); two, adult at noon (God the Father, the most high); and three, dying when the sun sets at day’s end (The Holy Ghost). Three different aspects, but one god — the sun. The reason that only four gospels were chosen in the official canon is because they represent the four seasons.

A second Gene Poore letter about intelligent design is an epic failure. There is always one more question: Who designed the designer? Since all gods and holy books are man-made, man is the designer.

A third Poore letter claims billions of people believe in Jesus, so he must be god. Belief doesn’t make it true. Many believed the earth was flat.

A fourth Poore letter advises us to “read the Bible, really read it.” I can assure him that reading the Bible confirmed my skepticism and unbelief.

Page 2 of 2 - A fifth Poore letter lectures us about the Ten Commandments. But which ones? Protestant, Catholic or Hebrew? There are also two different sets of commandments. Exodus 20 (later smashed by Moses) and Exodus 34 (“the words that were on the first”). My favorite is the 10th in Exodus 34: “Thou shalt not seethe a kid in its mother’s milk.” I trust Mr. Poore has kept that commandment.